According to weather forecasting, it will rain in the afternoon. Therefore, we decided to visit the Cades Cove area and drive through the Cades Cove Loop Road. Supposedly, it is the area with most chance of viewing wild animals. It is about 2 hours drive from our hotel.
On our way, we have to pass the Newfound Gap where there is a huge parking lot and the site of Rockefeller Memorial. The scenic views from this large parking area are breathtaking.
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| View from the Newfound Gap parking lot |
This is also the state border line of North Carolina and Tennessee.
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| State border line between North Carolina and Tennessee |
Rockefeller Memorial is just next to the state border line on the Tennessee side. It honors the $5 million donation from the Rockefeller Foundation to help complete land acquisitions to bring about the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We spent sometime there for photos and relaxing.
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| Stair way of the Rockefeller Memorial |
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| The park on top of Rockefeller Memorial |
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| The park on top of Rockefeller Memorial |
When we were at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, we got a recommendation from the ranger to hike on the Cove Mountain Trail to visit Cataract Falls, and to hike on Fighting Creek Natural Trial to visit John Ownby Cabin. Both of them are easy trail without too much exciting attractions, however, it was just right for us to get some hiking before the rain coming down in the afternoon,
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| Cataract Falls |
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| John Ownby Cabin |
On our way to Cades Cove, we had to drive on the Little River Road for about 1 hour. It is built along the Little River with beautiful fall foliage on both sides. Tennessee side of the park is much prettier than the North Carolina side of the park. We stopped several times to enjoy it.
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| Fall foliage along the Little River Road |
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| Fall foliage along the Little River Road |
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| Fall foliage along the Little River Road |
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| Fall foliage along the Little River Road |
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| Fall foliage along the Little River Road |
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| Fall foliage along the Little River Road |
When we got to the Cades Cove, it was raining already. Therefore, we could only drive along the Cades Cove Loop. With the rain, the only animals we saw were horses at the beginning of the loop and few deers in the field. We were told by rangers in the Cades Cove Visitor Center, there are about 45 black bears here which is the most concentrated area of black bears in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the whole park has about 1,500 black bears).
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| Horses in Cades Cove |
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